


fear of failure

by troublesome_tome



Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, inner workings of a "gifted child", valid father figure lemres
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/troublesome_tome/pseuds/troublesome_tome
Summary: Klug doesn't handle failing very well.





	fear of failure

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for the prompt ichi!!!
> 
> lemres is... such a valid dad... i started writing this in class on my phone and got in trouble
> 
> also i can confirm the way klug's acting is realistic. source? i act like that when i fail assignments

A single failing grade wasn't important to anyone but Klug. It was just one poor mark - just barely below a C. No one had passed that exam, with it being a pretest on a subject they hadn't been taught since childhood. He'd still earned the highest grade, too, but it didn't matter that he was still technically the highest scorer.  
He had failed. For once in a very long time, he hadn't passed something with flying colors. That was standard for him, to pick things up with ease before anyone else could, right? And this was something he had learned before, once upon a time... but he still failed spectacularly.

The break period had started; he'd gone and locked himself in the study hall again. There, he could be alone with his thoughts, for better or for worse. It was all quiet, except for the shuffling and ruffling of papers on the desk. Sometimes, footsteps were heard in the hallway outside. Someone must have been visiting. The silence was... a poor choice. Sitting alone, in the undisturbed quietness, his thoughts caught up with him. The words written in his notes grew blurry and out of focus, and soon he got lost in a storm of raging thoughts. 

That test should have been easy, there was no excuse for him to fail. He was just stupid. Stupid! A bumbling idiot.  
His grades were one of two things he really had, the other being his magic. Sure, he was good at other things, but it was magic he wanted to pursue. If he kept failing, he'd have less time to work on magic... and then he'd never be a famous sorcerer like he dreamed of being.  
He wouldn't deserve it. He didn't deserve it.

A tear escaped his eye, rolling down his face. Another followed, and another, until he was nearly sobbing at the desk. It was so silly to cry over something like this, wasn't it? Stupid. So stupid! Sobbing like a child over a failed test!

The door knob jiggled quietly.  
"Hello-o? Is someone in here?"  
The voice was too familiar for him to not answer. Klug wiped his eyes on his sleeve, struggling to mask his shaking breaths, and unlocked the door.

"Oh, Klug~! What'cha doin' in here alone?"  
"H-hi, Lemres! I was... I was just doing some extra studying. What are you doing here?"  
"Came over with a delivery, thought I'd stop by and say hello to some of the students!" His expression changed slightly, as much as it could when he didn't have eyes. "Are you doin' alright? You look kinda down."  
"Um, well... y-yes, I'm doing just fine." Klug pushed his glasses up awkwardly, averting his eyes from Lemres.

Here came the look. The look Lemres got when he caught someone lying. The look of a concerned adult.  
"...Look, it's not important! I'll handle it myself!"  
Lemres stood firm in the doorway. He didn't even have his eyes open, and he was staring into Klug's soul.

Klug stormed back off to the desk. Lemres followed after him, sitting beside him. "What's wrong, kiddo? Y'get in a fight or something?"  
"N... no, not a fight." He shuffled his papers around again, pulling the returned test out from under the pile. "It's this."  
Lemres took a look at the paper, growing somewhat confused. "You failed a test? What's the matter with that?"  
"I-I'm not supposed to fail! I have the highest grades, I'll be valedictorian, I... I'm supposed to be smart."  
Lemres put a hand on Klug's shoulder. "Hey, you're still pretty smart! Everyone goofs up sometimes. Were you the only one who failed?"  
"No... no one passed. I... I just... I just don't want to be a failure!" Klug broke down again, crying into his sleeve.

"Hey, hey! C'mere," Lemres exclaimed, drawing Klug into a tight hug. "You're not a failure if you mess up one assignment! I know it's pretty rough when you do, but don't beat yourself up over something like this."  
Klug slowly grew quiet, returning Lemres' hug. Lemres hugged him tighter, like a father Klug had never had.  
"Hey, if the whole class did badly, then Ms. Accord will probably give you all a retake on it! You can blow 'em all away then!" He gave Klug a pat on the back, and then ruffled his hair a little. A real valid father figure. Klug didn't say anything, he just nodded; he didn't feel so bad about the test anymore.


End file.
